salivate

[ sal-uh-veyt ]

/ ˈsæl əˌveɪt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR salivate ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), sal·i·vat·ed, sal·i·vat·ing.

to produce saliva.

verb (used with object), sal·i·vat·ed, sal·i·vat·ing.

to produce an excessive secretion of saliva in, as by mercurial poisoning.

Nearby words

salivary digestion, salivary duct, salivary fistula, salivary gland, salivary glands, salivate, salivation, salivator, salk, salk vaccine, salle à manger

Origin of salivate

1650–60; < Latin salīvātus (past participle of salīvāre to cause to salivate); see saliva, -ate¹

Related forms

un·sal·i·vat·ed, adjectiveun·sal·i·vat·ing, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for salivating

But Bush administration neocons, salivating over regime change in Iran, spurned this extraordinary deal.
Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick On How Obama Should Handle the Crisis In Syria|Oliver Stone, Peter Kuznick|October 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The mysterious trailer for the sci-fi adventure (which opens on June 8) already has the Internet salivating.
'Prometheus' Interview: Charlize Theron’s Alien Fantasy|Ramin Setoodeh|April 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The Saudis were salivating for North American birds, and Mr. Galbraith's Pigeon King enterprise would satisfy the hunger.
Why Smart People Are Dumb|Morley Safer|February 11, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Haldeman: “Colson was salivating with glee at what they might be able to do with it.”
How Kennedy Brought Down Nixon|Chris Matthews|September 13, 2009|DAILY BEAST

But it was largely the two salivating behemoths, Visa and MasterCard, which masterminded this.
Why Did Visa and MasterCard Get Off Scot-Free?|Adam Hanft|May 20, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Huxham appears to have adopted the whole Sydenhamian practice of blooding, blistering, purging, and salivating.
A History of Epidemics in Britain, Volume II (of 2)|Charles Creighton
Bindle had christened him Spit-and-Speak owing to Gugger's habit of salivating his words.
Adventures of Bindle|Herbert George Jenkins

British Dictionary definitions for salivating

salivate

/ (ˈsælɪˌveɪt) /

verb

(intr) to secrete saliva, esp an excessive amount

(tr) to cause (a laboratory animal, etc) to produce saliva, as by the administration of mercury

Derived Forms

salivation, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medicine definitions for salivating

salivate

[ săl′ə-vāt′ ]

v.

To secrete or produce saliva.

To produce excessive salivation in.